Gym construction still causing confusion

Angelique Flores

Ocean View School District’s proposal to build a gymnasium-auditorium

at each of the four middle schools has raised both concerns and confusion

among residents.

With many questions unanswered, some have all but welcomed the

proposed gyms into their neighborhoods. While the district is still in

the early stages of the project, some concerned residents are still

unsettled about the plans.

The school community has been discussing the project for a few years,

but Supt. James Tarwater has said the district did not tell the community

about it until earlier this year.

“Yes, there was a mistake made,” he said. “In hindsight, we should

have notified the community way ahead of time. We were talking to the

school community, not the community around the schools.”

In response to the community outcry, the board has slowed down the

process.

“It’s not too late, because we’re just beginning,” Tarwater said.

“Each community will have their concerns addressed.”

PLANNING FOR THE GYMS

In 1992, the district was reconfigured, splitting kindergarten through

eighth-grade schools into elementary and middle schools.

Funds were not available at the time to redesign the facilities as

middle school campuses with cafeterias, gyms and adequate locker rooms.

The proposed gyms would complete the middle school campuses, providing

each one with a cafeteria, locker rooms and a gym that would also serve

as an auditorium. In addition, the district hopes the auditoriums will

enhance the physical education and arts programs at the Marine View, Mesa

View, Spring View and Vista View middle schools.

“We really need to look at what we’re doing for the kids,” said Liz

Williams, Marine View’s principal. “We have to have three different

assemblies because we can’t do it all in one place at one time.”

The present multipurpose rooms are not large enough to accommodate the

school’s needs. Families are packed in during student programs.

Multiple student assemblies must be held to serve the whole student

body, and graduations are held off-campus.

While the proposed gyms excite the school community, residents around

the schools haven’t been so thrilled since the board approved the

proposed construction Sept. 19. However, no other details -- such as

size, location and a funding plan -- have been approved.

The district created a community advisory board to make

recommendations about the project and its effects on the community. The

district also plans to take into account any conclusions that come out of

the environmental study the board requested Oct. 17. It is expected to be

completed next month.

USING AND FUNDING THE GYMS

Two of the major problems expressed by residents about the gyms are

how the community would use them and funding.

The gyms would be used from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays primarily for

school activities and after-school sports programs.

The district proposed extending the use of the facilities to the

cities of Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, and while neither of the

cities has made any commitments, they expressed interest in using the

facilities for sports. National Junior Basketball of Huntington Beach

also wrote a letter of interest to Tarwater to rent the gyms.

However, neighbors have said they don’t want their communities opened

to outsiders, noise, bright lights and late-hour activities.

While the district does not allow commercial use at its facilities, it

can have joint-use agreements with the city and nonprofit groups.Though

the rental of the facilities is not necessary to fund the buildings, the

revenue from these agreements would be used to offset the cost of

construction and any other school-related projects. If the district

doesn’t rent the gyms, it still has a funding plan.

This, however, is another issue that has taxpayers concerned.

Residents from the Greenview tract signed a petition asking the

district to rescind a resolution approving funding for the project.

However, the board has only looked at a proposal for funding, as well as

one to place a moratorium on looking at further funding plans.

The price tag on the gyms is $12 million. A down payment of $4 million

would come from modernization money and pre-lease money in a special

reserve, officials said.

The district would then take out an $8-million loan with a quoted 5.1%

interest rate that would be paid off in 15 years through short-term lease

money.

This year, the district will net $890,000 in short-term lease money,

with a projected $1.1 million next year. The first payment of $776,000

would be paid for by that $1.1 million, leaving $324,000 to pay for

unanticipated costs.

The gyms’ upkeep would be funded by another $1 million that is in the

maintenance program funds.

Some community members complain about the district having money for

the buildings and not for teacher salaries. However, modernization money

that would be used for the down payment cannot be tapped to pay teacher

salaries.

According to board policy, short-term lease money goes to a special

reserve that can only be used for facility improvement projects.

Final approval for the project will come only after the environmental

study is done and the community advisory committee makes its

recommendations. The committee is expected to meet in November. The

district expects the study and community input to continue for at least

three months after that.

Residents who would like to serve on the community advisory committee

should contact one of the middle schools or the district office at (714)

847-2551. The deadline to submit an application is Nov. 22.